I like journaling, and needed a place to do it. Since I am not doing it in my actual journal, I thought I would give this a try.
Come learn a little about my inner workings (please, not too much though), some about Wifey, my lovely and talented wife, and Munchkin and Munchkenna, our incredibly darling girls. Besides talking about my family, you will probably hear some random information on books, music, art, and writing.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Can I Escape Their Clutches?

After applying to multiple positions (quite unsuccessfully) and never hearing back from them, I finally had someone call me back. The response was, "We can't hire you now, but maybe in the future."

While this doesn't help my current predicament of searching for more permanent employment, this is a better response than I have previously received. Evidently there are pretty strict procurement rules for some companies, especially when you are a contractor working for a different organization that you secretly hope to escape from as quickly as possible.

Don't get me wrong, I am happy to have a job. It pays the bills. But I know that I am being taken advantage of by my current organization. Here are some reasons why:

When the tax laws changed in 2008 in an attempt to stimulate the economy to allow individuals to get a larger piece of the pie, my pay went down. Instead of getting my piece of the pie, my company took it. They let me know with a form email that I could either accept the new pay rate (about a dollar less an hour, by the way) or quit my position. As I needed a job, I found the first option to be less of a difficult pill to swallow.

When I send an email to my agency, I most often get a response from someone besides the person I contacted. I had a recruiter that was very communicative at first when they were looking to fill a position to make some more money, but when I have a question, they are slow to respond (if they respond at all).

I have been told by the treasurer of the company that they are not making any money on my contract. My BS Meter starts going off when I heard this. If this company wasn't making any money off me, then why are they supporting my contract? See also my first point.

I was also told by the same unprofessional treasurer of the company that sometimes people in professional positions such as mine work overtime and do not receive overtime pay. If I were in a salaried position, I would have accepted that fact. As I am an hourly employee, I don't buy it. This undermines their authority in my opinion. An agency should go to bat to make sure that employees are being paid for the work that they are doing. One of the perks of being an hourly employee is that I get paid overtime.

In the same conversation with said unprofessional treasurer, I was informed that my contract did not support overtime. Right after I was informed of this, my employment was threatened. After researching my contract, I have no mention in the materials I was given that mentioned anything about overtime. If I don't have access to the particulars of my contract, why do you expect me know this information?

I could go on, but as I need to get back to work. Maybe I'll write a few follow-up emails first and hold my breath that I'll hear back from someone with an opportunity to have an interview.